Hakkōna
by sassanachs
Summary: The Sengoku Jidai- a time of strife, war, and bloodshed: Lord Aizen reaches to take control of all of Japan from the current daimyo. But first, needs something to help him obtain his goal. He sends out his most trusted samurai to seek out the woman who will help him obtain his goal, not realizing that he has set off a chain of events that no one will be able to escape from.


**Okay well, this was story that I've wanted to write after reading lilarin's Down With the Sun. It's not much atm and I'm not sure if I'll continue it, but** **I think it's pretty good so far and if you guys like it, I might continue. I know that for my other readers who are looking at this, I should be working on my other stories. I am though, but I just wanted to get this brain baby out. Enjoy!**

 **Title: Hakkōna**

 **Author: glorianas**

 **Rating: PG-13 to R- for language, violence, and sexuality**

 **Summary:** **The Sengoku Jidai- a time of strife, war, and bloodshed: Lord Aizen reaches to take control of all of Japan from the current daimyo. But first, needs something to help him obtain his goal. He sends out his most trusted samurai to seek out the woman who will help him obtain his goal, not realizing that he has set off a chain of events that no one will be able to escape from.**

 **Pairings: Ulquihime and others that I will not mention because that will ruin the story!**

 **Theme: Lovers by Kathleen Battle (from House of Flying Daggers)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TBleach, and never will. I only made this out the depths of my creativity and for entertainment. It all belongs to Tite Kubo**

 **Over & Out**

* * *

 _Every story, tale or memoir  
Every saga or romance  
Whether true or fabricated  
Whether planned or happenstance_

 _Every story, new or ancient  
Bagatelle or work of art  
All are tales of human failing  
All are tales of love at heart_

 _~Aida, Every Story is A Love Story_

 _ **The Tokyo National Museum- The Present**_

Orihime sighed to herself, thinking about what she could've been doing with her time instead of wasting her Saturday at a place that was filled with dusty centuries old artifacts and antiques and was too quiet, if she might say so. She could've been shopping and hanging with Tatsuki and their other friends, studying for her finals, or, though she loathed the woman, working with the college counselor on her applications. This was Sora's type of thing- not hers. As she told her brother, an anthropologist, respectively, that her life would go on quite fine if she didn't end up becoming some type of historian like him. There was nothing wrong in not following in the footsteps of the one who had raised her all on his own, which now thinking about just brought in the guilt, which Orihime, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't shake off. She tried to be as enthusiastic into history as much as Sora was, she really did, but Orihime couldn't find it in her heart to find any interest in it whatsoever. History to the redhead was a dull and droning subject that was all about memorizing certain people, places, events, and dates and the whole lot of it just bored her to tears.

As she continued her way strolling down through the Hokan section with her class, her attention was drawn to an elegant statue bust in the center of the large spacious room. The bust was of a man with wavy hair and a rogue strand of hair was in his face. Looking at the plaque below the bust, she read quietly to herself, _'Lord Aizen Sousuke was known for his expensive and elegant tastes, and often had drawings and sculptures made in his image. Lord Aizen was known as one of the most powerful daimyos and notable political players during the Sengoku Period. This surviving bust dates when Aizen was in his late thirties.'_

Orihime found herself staring at the head bust of Lord Aizen. The look in his strong gaze was sharp and calculating, as if the intensity of his stare could see right through her. ' _It's just a statue, Hime,'_ Orihime thought to herself. ' _A statue of some dead guy. Get a grip.'_ Shaking her head once to clear her mind, Orihime shifted her gaze to the woodblock print that accompanied Lord Aizen. It depicted a young woman, her face hidden beneath her fan, with two ladies behind her out in the gardens. _'Entitled "Lady and her Handmaidens", this woodblock print was commissioned by Lord Aizen Sousuke as a gift to his fiancé and later second wife whose name has been lost in history.'_

"Inoue-san! Stay with the group!" Orihime could hear her history teacher call out to her from farther along the exhibit, sounding irritated. The orangette made a squeak of surprise and turned abruptly around from reading the plaque.

Orihime's stomach dropped to the marble floor as she rammed into something large and hard rather quickly and her bum was sent to the floor. She heard a thud and a grunt ahead of her and looked up to see a male figure on the floor beside her. Horrified and embarrassed, Orihime scrambled to stand as people were glaring at her and the man for causing such a ruckus.

"I'm sorry!" she said, and then realized that the man's voice mingled with hers, having said the same thing. Her face turning an undeniable shade of crimson, Orihime repeatedly apologized again before the man pointedly towards her direction.

"I'm sorry! I do hope you're alright! That was really stupid of me!" Orihime stuttered, unable to take her eyes off the man before her. He was pale with ink black hair that came to meet his shoulders and had a pair of vivid green eyes. He couldn't be more than a few years older than her, but the presence he had, however stoic, was astounding. It seemed as though he could walk into a room and make anybody listen to him.

"Just do be careful to watch where you're going next time," He said sharply. Though his voice was quiet, he appeared acutely blunt and cold. Orihime felt her ears burning red from embarrassment, feeling quite like a child being scolded for something she shouldn't have done by a man that she just collided with and didn't mean to upset.

"Excuse me," Orihime muttered quietly, set on getting out of the situation before she did anything else to embarrass herself.

As Orihime passed the young man to join up with her group, she heard a soft voice that sounded feminine, " _Do you think this is it?"_ Spinning around, Orihime only saw the raven haired green eyed man, now thoroughly engaged in the plaque below the statue and woodcut she'd been admiring. The redheaded woman's breath caught in her throat; one of the lady's handmaidens, whose eyes had been fixed on the ground, was now looking the other handmaiden beside her!

"That's impossible!" Orihime murmured to herself, breathing deeply and walking towards her classmates once again.

" _It's quite possible,"_ Orihime heard another female voice, and once again spun around, but immediately turned back. The other hand handmaiden was looking at her companion beside her. "Hime, you're seeing things."

"Are you alright?" Orihime felt a hand one her shoulder and turned around to see the man she ran into standing before her. This close she could look into his green eyes and take in his green eyes and could take in his cologne. Glancing around, the teenager realized that all of the turning around must've been noticeable, as a few other patrons and visitors were looking at her and the man with suspicious annoyance.

"Yes, thank you," she managed to say, backing away a bit. "I've got to go." Orihime continued motioning at the school group with her hand. As she moved her foot to turn around, the man extended a large pale hand to her.

"Ulquiorra, I wish to apologize for my behavior earlier," he said, obviously looking to introduce her to himself. Unsure of herself, but was touched by his attempt in apologizing for his lack of manners, Orihime reached her hand and felt the man firmly grasp it in his own. "I'm a student at Keio University."

"Orihime," Orihime replied sheepishly, even more intimidated now that she knew this Ulquiorra was at least a couple years her junior and over ahead her superior.

"I'm a senior at Karakura High School outside the city," Orihime said, hoping he wouldn't think any less of her for not being his age. _'Strange… I feel as though I've seen him somewhere before- Hime stop. Just stop right there. Just go meet up with your class and leave this guy alone.'_

"Look, I hope that I'm not being rude, but I…"

"You've got to go," Ulquiorra said, nodding to her and releasing her small hand. Orihime moved her head up and down in agreement and Ulquiorra continued, "Enjoy the exhibit."

"Thanks," Orihime, swallowing hard and turning around to meet up with her class. Once she was further down the exhibit hallway, only a few feet away behind her school group, Orihime glanced behind her to see Ulquiorra continuing to read the plaques below the two pieces of art.

Breathing deeply, feeling a little rattled by the out of thin air feminine voices and the strange encounter with this Ulquiorra, Orihime forward to read the plaque below a painting depicting a group of ten samurais waiting for their lord to greet his presence. Unbeknownst to the orangette teen, one of the samurais looked to the handmaidens on the woodblock with an understanding knowing look.

" _Yes, it is quite possible."_


End file.
